Recently awarded Apple patents conceal an interesting little icon marked E-Wallet. That’s intriguing with rumours rattling around that iPhone 5 will mark the point that Apple puts its piles of NFC research out into the teal world. The patent could indicate a possible name and icon for the Apple NFC app but there are other possibilities.

As TUAW points out, Ilium Software marketed a programme called eWallet some years ago and the term is a registered trademark of that firm. Apple could have snaffled it up but it also has a history of using icons in patent applications for purely illustrative purposes. What do you think: will Apple out an electronic wallet plan this year?